There are few people who, after looking inside your dog’s mouth, are alarmed when discovering a small bump just behind the upper incisive teeth. This small lump, rounded and slightly elevated, is found in the midline of the hard palate and, far from being an anomaly, is a completely normal structure. This is the incisive papilla, and is part of the complex olfactory system of dogs.
Its appearance can be striking, especially in young animals or in those with the palate very clear, but does not indicate any injury, tumor or infection. The incisive papilla is visible to the naked eye and usually goes unnoticedeven for people who have lived with dogs for years. However, their function is essential to better understand how these animals perceive the world.
A connection between mouth and nose
The incisive papilla marks the point of entry of the incisive duct, a channel that connects the oral cavity with the nasal cavity. This duct works like A shortcut between mouth and nose whose main function is to allow certain chemical substances present in the environment, such as those in the urine of other dogs, for example, reach a very particular sensory structure: the vomeronasal organ, also known as Jacobson organ.
This organ acts as a ‘peromonas receiver’, the chemical signals that animals of the same species use to communicate. Unlike common odors, which the dog interprets thanks to their experience or memory, pheromones cause automatic and instinctive responses in the brain. They are, so to speak, direct messages to behavior.
A well -known example is the Canine peromone of appeasementwho secrete mothers during breastfeeding to calm their puppies. This same substance, synthesized, is marketed in the form of environmental diffusers, recommended in some cases to reduce stress in anxiety or hyperactive dogs. The mechanism that allows its detection is precisely related to this discreet hole that communicates the mouth with the nose: the incisive duct, at whose oral end is the incisive papilla.
In the following video shared by veterinarian and ethologist Dennis Wormald, it can be seen sharply How the cheeks are inflated of dogs by inspiring and pushing the air, and the smells, through the incisive duct.
Jacobson’s organ, different but connected
Although sometimes they are confused, the incisive papilla and the vomeronasal organ are two different elements. The first is The visible anatomical point that gives access to the secondwhich is located inside a cartilaginous capsule at the base of the nasal cavity. This organ can also be activated when dogs perform certain intense olfate gestures or deep aspirations, especially when detecting chemical markers of the environment, such as urine traces or other signs of interest.
In many animal species this process is manifested by the so -called Flehmen reflexa characteristic grimace that allows the entry of substances to the organ of Jacobson. In dogs this gesture is usually less evident, but the interaction between mouth and nose continues to play an important role in receiving information.
A complex olfactory system
The sense of smell in dogs is extraordinarily sophisticated. In addition to the olfactory cells present in the nostrils, they have this additional channel that allows analyzing chemical signals more specific. Therefore, although it is striking that there is a hole that connects the mouth with the nose, it is a Adaptive characteristic that has evolved to expand its capacity for perception.
The incisive papilla is just one more piece of the complex puzzles that composes the Sensory Anatomy of Dogsand that helps us understand how they capture the world through their senses.
